Shaved beef has a large fan base and is known the world over, thanks to its versatility. Shaved beef makes all kinds of culinary audacity possible. Trust me, my kitchen is used to shaved beef preparations.
My best shaved beef recipes are Mongolian shaved beef cooked in hot oil, steak quesadilla wrapped in flour tortilla, and Philly cheesesteak sandwich prepared with cheese, vegetables and wrapped with a toasted bun.
You can find these thinly sliced beef recipes at the base of Asian-inspired dishes and many European cuisines. In today’s article, I’ll show you the recipes for these shaved beef delicacies listed above.
One of the best shaved beef recipes is hands down the Mongolian beef. Mongolian shaved steak is a quick, easy and delicious family-friendly recipe.
For this Asian-inspired dish, we use about 400 grams of steak cut into thin beef slices. I like to use sirloin steak, but you’re free to use shaved flank steak, Denver, or skirt steak.
Let’s start by coating the shaved steak. Take a tablespoon and a half of corn flour or cornstarch and a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Then mix them to coat the steak.
You have to start by heating 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil in your wok.
After that, cook the steak strips in the hot oil, occasionally turning until they get very dark and crispy. Then cook the beef for about five minutes without turning.
Don’t keep moving it around the pan all the time. Otherwise, you won’t get that lovely crispy dark coating.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef from the pan and place it in a bowl with some kitchen roll to drain the excess fat.
Now we’ll pour all but a tablespoon of oil out of the wok. Then, turn the heat down to medium. Next, add three cloves of minced garlic and a tablespoon of minced ginger and cook that for a minute.
Next goes 120ml or half a cup of dark soy sauce. Follow it up with a quarter of a teaspoon of black pepper, six tablespoons of light brown sugar, and 90 ml or a third of a cup of water.
Give it a good mix, turn up the heat and bring it to a boil. Simmer for about two to three minutes.
Now add that crispy beef back into the pan. Cook for a further two minutes to heat through the beef.
Then, add eight chopped green onions and stir them together to smother the beef and green onions in that delicious sauce.
That’s how you make a fantastic crispy Mongolian beef. Just spoon the beef over boiled rice to serve and enjoy while it’s hot.
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Steak quesadilla is another shaved beef recipe that is easy to make from start to finish.
I’m starting by making the vegetable mixture that will be one of my layers in the quesadilla.
With your skillet on medium heat, start by adding about 3 teaspoons of olive oil to the skillet.
Add the diced onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and a little salt.
Cook on medium heat and stir for about five minutes or until tender.
This is a great time to add some flavor, so you may add some garlic and let that cook for about 20 to 30 seconds.
Remove all the cooked veggies from the heat and set them aside inside a bowl.
Add a little more oil and shaved beef in the same skillet on medium-high heat.
Next comes the beef. I like to use shaved beef from the local store. It is the finest cut and is so thin you can almost see through the pieces.
Season with a little salt and black pepper. Then, cook and stir until it turns golden brown and you no longer see the pink color.
Before taking the beef off the heat, you may add some sauce for flavor. I like to add a little Worcestershire sauce. It really adds a nice tang to the preparation.
Stir, and after a couple of minutes, remove the beef from the pan and set it to one side.
Now it’s time to make the steak quesadillas. You’ll need your grill pan. Begin by coating it with a little oil. Then, set the heat to a low medium.
I also like to brush the bottom side of the flour tortilla with a little oil. Place it in the pan after doing that.
The key to making a quesadilla is starting and ending with cheese. This will help hold the content or glue it together.
Add some grated Monterey Jack and some grated pepper jack cheese. It will give it a nice bite.
Now add a layer of the cooked garlic veggies and finally top it with some more Monterey Jack cheese.
Fold over the tortilla and give it a smash with your spatula to keep it in place and give it brown grill marks.
Let the quesadilla cook for a couple of minutes. Just keep checking the bottom, so it doesn’t burn.
You may need to adjust your heat along the way. Once I see the cheese melting, I give it a flip and cook for another minute.
Remove them from the pan and place on a platter. Let the steak quesadilla rest for a minute and then cut in half.
I like to serve it with a garden salsa and two slices of lime. The choice is yours.
I’ll end the shaved beef recipes list with this super-easy Philly cheesesteak sandwich recipe. Stay tuned for the recipe.
As always, we’ll start with the package of thin-sliced steak. It works great for making shaved steak sandwiches.
You can find it in a grocery store or buy a full flank steak or skirt steak and cut it into shaved beef sizes. By the way, flank steak is more affordable.
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You can make this Philly cheesesteak sandwich on a grill pan. I also like to use a cast iron pan. Start by adding the onions and bell peppers to the pan on medium heat.
Then, add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the bottom and one medium diced onion.
Add in a pinch of salt and black pepper. Then keep cooking and stirring for a couple of minutes.
Add some diced green bell pepper and keep cooking while stirring for another three to four minutes or until the veggies soften.
If you want, you could also add in some mushrooms. I like to let onions get a little bit caramelized.
Once done, remove and set the onions and peppers to a side. Then, turn your cooker to medium-high heat.
Add a little more oil and then the beef steak after some 30 seconds.
Spread the beef and let it cook for a couple of minutes so it gets a nice browning.
With the beef sliced so thin, it will only take three to four minutes for the beef to cook.
Take two forks and use them to shred the beef into smaller pieces.
At the end of the steak cooking, add in your seasonings and a little salt and black pepper.
You can add anything else you want. For example, garlic, onion powder, or even a few drizzles of Worcestershire sauce or spicy ginger garlic sauce for a little tang.
Continue cooking and giving everything a toss with your spatula.
It wouldn’t be Philly cheesesteak without the cheese. I suggest you start with the provolone cheese.
Place four of the cheese on what you’re cooking. Cover with the pan lid and let that melt for 30 seconds to a minute.
You can make your beef sandwich and leave the melted cheese on top, or toss it in with the beef, onions, and peppers.
I like the melted cheese tossed because it makes everything nice, yummy, and gooey.
You can serve the Philly cheesesteak inside toasted hoagie rolls and a side dish of coleslaw.
Note that you can find prepackaged shaved beef at most grocery stores. If not, you can cut your own steak into ultra-thin slices.
Make sure it’s sirloin, flank, Denver, or skirt steak. This can be done by partially freezing the steak.
It makes it nice, firm, and easier to cut for your Mongolian beef, Philly cheesesteak sandwich, quesadillas, or other shaved steak recipes such as steak bomb recipe.
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